Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Valandre 2010 Makalu Expedition

Follow the team on their 2010 Makalu Expedition!

The team will be arriving over various dates in Kathmandu from April 5th to April 11th. We will then depart for the mountain on April 14th, 2010 for the trek into base camp. I have attached an itinerary below. I will be posting regular dispatch updates throughout the climb based on satellite connectivity.

Team Members:

Brad JohnsonRobbie KlimekChris KlinkeEric MeyerChhiring Dorje

Makalu Facts:

Elevation (meters) 8,462, (feet) 27,765

Other names/spellings: Makalufeng. The name of the mountain was probably taken from the Sanskrit word Maha-Kala, which means Big Black and is a by-name of Shiva - one of the most important gods of Hinduism. Shiva is sometimes an evil, cruel destroyer but at other times he tends to be gentle and kind-hearted. The mountain has another name in the local dialect - Kumba karna, which means The Giant.

Elevation (meters) 8,462, (feet) 27,765

Location: Khumbu Region, Himalaya, The summit ridge is the demarcation point indicating the border between Nepal on the Southern side and Tibet to the North.

Makalu is an isolated peak, located just 14 miles east of Mount Everest (8848 m.). Its size alone is impressive, but its perfect pyramid structure with four sharp ridges makes this mountain all the more dramatic.